Month: January 2020

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Margin

When I first started this blog, I knew I would eventually be writing something about margin. And here we are. And I know I won’t be doing it justice here, but it came up this week, so even though this migraine thing was definitely meant to teach me a great deal about this concept, I must not be learning the lesson. I’m a slow study.

15 minutes to be still. It’s a homework assignment. I almost laughed because around this time last year I was asking God to show me the importance of rest and it took me down some studies on a Sabbath heart and margin in our lives that truly prepared me for the sabbatical that was my migraine catastrophe. Had it not been for those studies, I wouldn’t have been ready for the spiritual growth I accomplished during that time. But I knew that with returning to work, I was in danger. I told myself that if I didn’t have time to write, I was doing too much. But I’ve been increasingly unfocused and overwhelmed. And you know what I was told—“you’ll hear God’s voice when you’re still.” Duh!! I know this. Why do I have to keep hearing this? Why do I need to keep being reminded.

So I’m here, with this very cursory introduction to margin.

Remember, that the Lord rested, not because he needed to, but because he thought it important to set the example.

And Moses, in Numbers 9:8, instructed them to wait, so that he could hear the Lord’s command. He was in no hurry, he was still.

And in Isaiah 30:15, “For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, ‘In returning and rest you shall be saved, in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.’ But you were unwilling.”

I realized the moment I got my homework that even typing the blog wasn’t protecting my margin. So God sent it a different way. And boy, am I looking forward to it!

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Patience

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Soulful Sundays: Once a week I will have an installment that speaks to my spirituality, because, as I’ve said, to me, spiritual wellness, is essential to complete wellness. Because I am Christian, my spirituality is heavily based on my relationship with the Trinity and the Christian Bible. If reading about God, Jesus, or the Spirit will offend your sensibilities, these posts aren’t for you–be advised

“But if we hope for that which we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.”

Romans 8:25 ASV

A recurring theme for me this week has been patience—my need to cultivate it.

First of all, when speaking of general wellness, it serves as a great reminder that we must practice patience:

  1. Patience in our hardships. Someone described this in a non-spiritual way, and I love how science and spiritual agree: trouble will only last so long because there is always regression to the mean, and so nothing can stay horrible forever. She said this to me while rationalizing her own patience through a particularly horrible time in her life. Things can stay bad for a very long time, but as I told my son today, everything, good and bad, ends eventually.
  2. Patience with ourselves: we aren’t perfect. We can only continue to try our best. When we really mess things up, all we can do is pick ourselves up, and try again given the chance, while giving thanks for the chance. I let myself enter a major migraine episode, mainly because I wasn’t sure when the right time to take my medicine was…I don’t like medicating when I don’t have to, but I waited too long. I was kicking myself, and someone reminded me I’m still in a learning stage. Patience.
  3. Patience with those around us: we aren’t perfect, and neither are they.

There are so many other places to practice patience. I could type all evening. What I’m saying is we’d be a little more mentally well, and our relationships would be a little healthier with a bit more patience.

“Yea, and for this very cause adding to your part all diligence, in your faith supply virtue, an din your virtue, knowledge; and in your knowledge self-control; and in your self-control patience; and in your patience godliness; and in your godliness brotherly kindness; and in your brotherly kindness love.”

2 Peter 1:5-7 ASV

Well, spiritually, like never before in my life, I am seeing, not academically, but with my whole spirit, the fundamental connection between trust and patience. I’ve been really praying on a situation, and telling myself that I was trusting God to handle it. Well, this week, I almost worsened the situation because I became impatient and wanted to move quickly. Interestingly, prior to the events, a friend posted and interesting twist in the fruits of the spirit, so that when I was praying on the decision, patience was very much what I was receiving back. And the self control I exercised then led me down a path of exercising…you guessed it…MORE PATIENCE. What I was ready to steam roll in weeks may take months. But it’s likely for the best.

If I’m trusting God to handle my situations, I’m also trusting his timing. So let me sit down, again.

“Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into manifold temptations; knowing that the proving of your faith worketh patience. And let patience have its perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking nothing.”

James 1:2-4 ASV

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Plant-Based and Yummy!!

I can’t wait to try some of these recipes!!

I have a friend who makes some dope t-shirts who invited me to a night market his business was attending, so husband and I went out to support. There was SOOO much cool stuff, but the reason for this post…the vegan food.

So, you all know, I briefly told you about the benefits of plant-based diets before. There isn’t a single diet modification with as much evidence behind it when it comes to cardiovascular benefit and cancer prevention, and it is also excellent for weight control, preventing and reversing insulin resistance and metabolic disease, and most of my patients who suffer from inflammatory disorders generally feel better if they go plant-based.

Anyway, I met this lovely woman who apparently is already quite well-known on the vegan scene in Houston, the chef behind Tay’s Vegan Eats!. I’m super excited, though, because I got a copy of her cookbook, and I now have a resource for my patients who don’t believe plant-based can be flavorful and fun! Honestly, I can’t wait to try some of her stuff in my kitchen–one of my biggest barriers to trying vegan myself is not having a resource of go-to recipes.

My husband tried the mac and cheez and liked it—and guys—this man calls himself a carnivore (though I did correct him and tell him he was an omnivore—though not a very good one, cuz he’s a little like a toddler when it comes to veggies). I wish I’d gotten a pic of him eating it—so bad at that part. He was being stingy with it!

Anywho…check out her pages! Her food is delish!

See her Facebook and Instagram.

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Another Win for Intermittent Fasting

So intermittent fasting is easily my personal favorite diet modification. I’m not sure I should call it a diet modification, as it can be done with any diet…it’s more about timing.

For those who aren’t familiar, New England Journal of Medicine is a very respected medical journal. It recently published a review article touting the benefits of intermittent fasting as including everything from anti-aging, to weight loss, improving insulin resistance and diabetes as well as some of the complications from diabetes, to improving the body’s response to stress, to potentially reducing incidence of cancer!

More studies are being done in most areas, but it’s beginning to hold its own as something that the authors feel should be introduced at the medical school level.

I will tell you, I fell in love with this concept when I read The Obesity Code by Jason Fung, and have found it beneficial personally. I was able to lose my baby weight, and my A1c was the best it has ever looked…ever.

It’s definitely something I tend to recommend, but you definitely have to have a conversation with your physician, particularly if you are on medications.

For more information on what all intermittent fasting entails, see my previous blog post here.

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A Leap of Faith

Soulful Sundays: Once a week I will have an installment that speaks to my spirituality, because, as I’ve said, to me, spiritual wellness, is essential to complete wellness. Because I am Christian, my spirituality is heavily based on my relationship with the Trinity and the Christian Bible. If reading about God, Jesus, or the Spirit will offend your sensibilities, these posts aren’t for you–be advised

“For God gave us not a spirit of fearfulness; but of power and love and discipline.”

1 Timothy 1:7 ASV

Over Christmas, I was engulfed in unexpected quality time with my present past—family members with whom I don’t get to spend enough time and with whom I definitely don’t get to speak on the level I did this holiday. It was exactly what I needed.

One such interaction was with family, not blood—but family, indeed, who I haven’t seen in years. We were talking about…life…and how uncertain I am these days. Before this she had been speaking on how I didn’t have to necessarily overwhelm myself trying to get these experiences to set myself up for future endeavors, that God is always preparing you for exactly what He has for you, and He will use your experiences to shape you. I said something about how I’ve been praying for direction and she said something profound—at least for me. It was something to the effect of, “I think we pray wrong sometimes. We’re praying waiting for some grand sign on where to move next. God gave us free will. He’s waiting on us to move.” And here I was having something of an epiphany, because she was definitely hitting on a struggle of mine, and I said, “And trust that He’s going to be there and work it out.”

Y’all, since this conversation, some things that I was really confused about really clarified themselves for me. It was exactly what she was sent to tell me.

Sometimes, we’re sitting back, waiting. And God has completely prepared us to DECIDE the next step. And He’s waiting on us to step out on faith, ask for what we want and believe that He will do more than we could imagine for ourselves.

“Ye did not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that ye should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, He may give it you.”

John 15:16, ASV

I kept struggling with whether it was in His purpose. But my purpose is to glorify Him with my gifts, and there are so many different ways I can do that. Sometimes, what He wants is my show of faith; my ability to ask for what I want in accordance with that will, and trust that He can and will support me in it. I believe it’s yours too. Nothing more, nothing less. So much peace in that.

“And we know that to them that love God all things work together for good, even to them that are called according to His purpose.”

Romans 8:28 ASV

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New Commitments to a Different Growth

So happy to be able to bring in the new year in my pink camo onesie!!!

Funny, I’ve never really been one for New Year’s resolutions. They just seem too cheesy and cliché for me. But for some reason, what I have always found is there is this natural closing at the end of the year. A natural reflection that lends itself to a reset. And this year has been no different.

The past month has been a month full of returning to relationships that had me come face to face with the old me. It reminds you of the growth that has taken place. It is also amazingly grounding. There is nothing like watching your children play with the children of your onetime best friend who you no longer really get to keep in touch with due to…life; standing there, remembering the uncertainty and anxieties you shared during adolescence and young adulthood, proud to see how far you’ve both come.

Nothing like spending one on one time with your dad and meeting one of his long-time friends; getting to see him in his professional element.

Nothing like long talks with your mom wrapping presents, on the way to a women’s book club, shopping.

Nothing like Christmas with the aunt, uncle and cousin, who are more like members of your core family, for the first time in more years than you can remember.

Nothing like sitting with your “big sister,” who apparently got on your page, read some of your posts, and came to do what she does with her wisdom in a full-on therapy session that was so needed.

Nothing like sitting up until 5am with your big-little brother—just talking.

Nothing like meshing your past and present together at a time in your life that seems so uncertain and unsettled.

It was perfect, exactly what I needed.

It’s very interesting. 2019 wasn’t all bad. I mean, I moved into my new home, traveled to some pretty cool places, and have seen some growth in some areas professionally despite my illness. My children are growing, and healthy and appear to be thriving. However, I must be honest, I can’t wait to see this year go.

It’s been hard, y’all. Professionally, physically, mentally, physically, emotionally—every way you can think. I have been tried as mother, wife, woman, human, physician and professional. I have grown. I am growing.

What am I grateful for in 2019? Lessons. Friends—finding out who the real ones were, strengthening some bonds, finishing my circle. Growth. Strength. Faith. Health. Income. Shelter. Family. Learning the meaning of Margin. Defining my struggle with perfectionism. Life.

So 2020? I will continue to grow. I feel grounded. I feel ready. I have some perspective that without this time meshing past with present, I don’t think I would have gained—so amazing how these things work out (look at God!). I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue to work on protecting margin in my life, defeating perfectionism, practicing gratitude and enjoying the blessings I have right now, rather than hustling so hard for…what exactly?!

I’d like to have more peace in 2020. Here’s to true wellness. 

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